Strategic Waste Projects Manager in Waterbeach

Our Waste Strategy team sits at the centre of a major transformation in how Cambridgeshire manages its waste. National policy, environmental expectations and new legislation are reshaping the sector, and our service is leading a significant programme of work to modernise waste services, infrastructure and long-term contracts. We are seeking an exceptional Strategic Waste Projects Manager to support this complex and high-profile agenda.

Working with colleagues, partners and specialist advisors across a wide network, you will ensure that complex programmes and projects are delivered successfully and that the Council continues to provide efficient, sustainable and forward-looking waste services including:

• Helping to deliver improved value for money from long-term contracts worth tens of millions of pounds.
• Supporting the development of future waste services and infrastructure, influencing how residents access and use services.
• Ensuring the Council responds effectively to rapidly evolving national waste legislation and policy.
• Contributing to the Council’s climate change and Net Zero ambitions, helping reduce the environmental impact of waste.
• Enabling informed decisions by senior leaders and elected Members on high-risk, high-value strategic programmes.

In this role, the postholder will:

• Lead and manage multiple projects and workstreams within the Waste PFI Programme, ensuring they are delivered on time, to budget and to a high standard.
• Coordinate and work closely with a wide range of stakeholders including senior managers, elected Members, advisors, contractors and partner organisations.
• Develop and maintain project plans, business cases and performance reports, providing clear updates on progress, risks and outcomes.
• Manage budgets, financial reporting and risk, ensuring strong governance and value for money.
• Identify and manage dependencies, issues and risks, escalating where appropriate and driving solutions.
• Commission and oversee external consultants and specialist advisors across legal, financial, commercial, procurement and technical areas.
• Lead and support project team members (including internal staff and external partners) to deliver key outcomes.
• Contribute to the design and delivery of future waste services and infrastructure.
• Support the Council’s climate change and Net Zero commitments through improved waste services and innovation.

We’re looking for a confident project or programme professional who can deliver complex work, manage stakeholders and drive outcomes in a fast-paced environment with a degree (or equivalent experience) in a relevant field and a project management qualification or willingness to work towards one. The postholder should be experienced in delivering projects or programmes in complex organisations; have strong stakeholder management and influencing skills; experience of managing budgets, risks and governance; excellent communication, problem-solving and organisational skills; the ability to lead or coordinate teams, partners or suppliers; and be confident in the use of information technology and project management tools.

You don’t need direct waste experience. If you’ve delivered complex projects in sectors such as infrastructure, construction, utilities or consultancy, we’d love to hear from you. We will support you to develop sector-specific knowledge.

We value our colleagues in Cambridgeshire County Council and have developed a number of benefits in addition to the basics like annual leave, sick pay, pension and mileage:

• A comprehensive wellbeing package to cover all aspects of wellbeing, both in and out of work, which can also be accessed by your family.
• Buy up to 4 weeks additional annual leave (pro-rata) through our salary sacrifice scheme.
• Take your bank holidays flexibly to better suit your personal circumstances.
• Make Additional Voluntary Contributions (Shared AVCs) to your pension with tax and National Insurance savings.
• Access to development opportunities, apprenticeships and qualified coaches to support your personal and professional growth.
• Paid volunteering hours each year so you can make a positive impact on our community during your normal working day.
• Access to Peer Support Groups through our IDEAL staff equality, diversity and inclusion network.
• Opportunities to nominate and receive Employee Recognition Awards.
• An Our Cambs Rewards account, giving you access to in-store and online discounts as well as our Car Lease and Cycle to Work schemes.

Cambridgeshire is a great place to work and live with a diverse population, an urban centre in Cambridge, historic Isle of Ely, Huntingdon and St Ives as well as more rural landscapes. Our four values are central to our culture, driving everything we do. We are proud to serve the diverse communities of Cambridgeshire and want our workforce to be reflective of this diversity, which we firmly believe benefits our colleagues, the organisation and our communities.

If you don’t meet every single requirement in the job role but think this could be you, please don’t be put off. We are committed to building a workplace that is compassionate and inclusive as well as diverse, so if you think you could be a good candidate for this role please consider applying and speak to the recruiting manager if you have any questions.

Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, along with our employee network 'IDEAL' and self-organised peer support groups help us to foster an inclusive, supportive and safe working environment where people feel valued, respected, and empowered.

We are proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We fully support providing reasonable adjustments throughout our recruitment process, as well as when you join us, and we encourage candidates to contact the Hiring Manager to discuss any adjustment needs.

Visit our jobs and careers section to find out more about our wide range of learning and development opportunities; apprenticeships; our wellbeing package; staff benefits; our commitment to equality, diversity and Inclusion.